Page 56 - sesesp01_2002
P. 56
EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL PROTECTION THE EXTENSION OF WORKING LIFE
España ya ha turada, lo que significa que force is included in the ordinary social security system, retirement is a luxury
aprobado un Real éstas se benefician menos that few people can afford. Even if they are required to retire, the insufficient
de los planes de pensiones. transfer of income forces many of them to keep working in the non-structured
Decreto para Los planes de seguridad so- economy for as long as possible. 40.5 per cent of the people over 64 years of age
prolongar la vida cial, incluidas las pensiones in Africa and 24.5 per cent in Asia still form part of the labour force, principally
mínimas y/o las fórmulas de in the agricultural sector. In the meantime, this percentage in the more
laboral de los beneficios compensadas, developed parts of the world is less than 10 per cent. In the developing world,
mayores son especialmente pertinen- elderly people continue making a very important «invisible contribution» to
tes para las trabajadoras cu- society and towards the family income. However, the rapid increase in the
en el período comprendido yos derechos serían, de lo percentages of the elderly will soon become a problem for societies that have to
entre 1975 y 1989. contrario, muy pocos debido maintain at least the non-institutional transfers of income for the elderly. This
a los bajos salarios y/o a tra- problem is usually overlooked in the present debate.
El envejecimiento afecta bajos a tiempo parcial, a me-
más probablemente al creci- nudo interrumpidos por res- By the year 2010, approximately 27 per cent of the world population will be
miento económico a través ponsabilidades familiares y over 45, the age at which the incidence of incapacity starts to increase
de un crecimiento menor de desempleo. significantly. The alarming increase in the number of elderly workers that quit
la productividad. Y puede the labour force early because of disability has been the cause for considerable
llevar a una disminución del La pobreza en el grupo de concern. The costs of having so many people unemployed are very significant. In
consumo. El efecto neto en personas mayores tiene una those countries with structured social security plans, these costs reached
el crecimiento es poco con- fuerte dimensión de género. alarming levels in the decade starting in 1980. In the Netherlands, for example,
cluyente. Se necesitan inver- La esperanza de vida de las they reached 6 per cent of the GNP, in Germany, 3.5 per cent and in France 2.5
siones sabias a largo plazo mujeres es mayor que la de per cent. These costs continued spiralling in the same way. In the Netherlands,
para preparar a las economí- los hombres. Por consi- they rose four-fold in the period between 1975 and 1989.
as para una mano de obra de guiente, las mujeres pueden
mayor edad. El trabajo se ser más tiempo pobres al fi- Ageing more probably affects economic growth by means of a potentially
convertirá en un recurso ca- nal de sus vidas. Las prácti- reduced increased in productivity. Moreover, it can lead to a reduction in
da vez más escaso y las eco- cas culturales y los ordena- consumption. The net effect on growth is not very conclusive. Wise investments
nomías ya no podrán permi- mientos jurídicos discrimi- are needed in the long term in order to prepare economies for a more elderly
tirse hacer uso de dicho re- nan a las mujeres en mu- labour force. Work will become an increasingly scarce resource and economies
curso durante la vida de tra- chos países. En algunos paí- will not be able to allow themselves to make use of this resource during the
bajo activa que actualmente ses en desarrollo, los dere- active working life period, which is currently little more than three and a half
es de poco más de tres dece- chos de propiedad más dé- decades in many industrialised countries.
nios y medio en muchos paí- biles de las mujeres y el ac-
ses industrializados. ceso más limitado a las he- GENDER AND AGEING
rencias influyen sobremane-
GÉNERO Y ENVEJECIMIENTO ra en su seguridad económi- Women form the majority part of the population over 60 years of age in almost
ca. Para las mujeres mayo- all the countries of the world. It is more likely that elderly women lack basic
Las mujeres forman la res, los factores sociocultu- literacy skills compared to men. A large part of their economic contribution is
mayoría de la población de rales también desempeñan made through domestic non-structured economic activity. This means that they
más de 60 años en casi to- un papel significativo al de- benefit less from pension plans.
dos los países . En compara- terminar si una trabajadora
ción con los hombres, es se considera mayor y pue- Social security plans, including minimal pensions and/or compensatory
más probable que carezcan den verse doblemente dis- benefit formulas, are especially pertinent for the workers whose rights would
de competencias básicas en criminadas por estereotipos otherwise be very limited due to low salary levels and/or part-time work, often
materia de alfabetización. de sexismo y de edad. interrupted by family responsibilities and unemployment.
Buena parte de su contribu-
ción económica se realiza a A pesar de su vulnerabili- Poverty among the elderly has a powerful gender dimension. Life expectation
través de la actividad econó- dad, las mujeres mayores of women is higher than that of men. Consequently, women can spend a longer
mica doméstica y no estruc- contribuyen de forma indis- time being poor at the end of their lives. Cultural practices and legal codes
pensable a la economía y a discriminate against women in many countries. In some developing countries,
la sociedad. Suelen prestar the weaker property rights that women have and the more limited access they
have to inheritances have an excessive influence on their financial security.
Socio-cultural factors also play an important role for elderly women in
determining whether a female worker is considered elderly, and they could be
doubly discriminated against by stereotypes of sexism and age.
In spite of their vulnerability, elderly women contribute indispensably to the
economy and to society. They usually provide primary care services. In developed
regions, the workers aged between 45 and 60 are carrying out an important care
➾role: for their children and their elderly parents. In the same way, in the less
developed regions, above all in Africa, it is considered that their mission to care
Sesenta y más 61
España ya ha turada, lo que significa que force is included in the ordinary social security system, retirement is a luxury
aprobado un Real éstas se benefician menos that few people can afford. Even if they are required to retire, the insufficient
de los planes de pensiones. transfer of income forces many of them to keep working in the non-structured
Decreto para Los planes de seguridad so- economy for as long as possible. 40.5 per cent of the people over 64 years of age
prolongar la vida cial, incluidas las pensiones in Africa and 24.5 per cent in Asia still form part of the labour force, principally
mínimas y/o las fórmulas de in the agricultural sector. In the meantime, this percentage in the more
laboral de los beneficios compensadas, developed parts of the world is less than 10 per cent. In the developing world,
mayores son especialmente pertinen- elderly people continue making a very important «invisible contribution» to
tes para las trabajadoras cu- society and towards the family income. However, the rapid increase in the
en el período comprendido yos derechos serían, de lo percentages of the elderly will soon become a problem for societies that have to
entre 1975 y 1989. contrario, muy pocos debido maintain at least the non-institutional transfers of income for the elderly. This
a los bajos salarios y/o a tra- problem is usually overlooked in the present debate.
El envejecimiento afecta bajos a tiempo parcial, a me-
más probablemente al creci- nudo interrumpidos por res- By the year 2010, approximately 27 per cent of the world population will be
miento económico a través ponsabilidades familiares y over 45, the age at which the incidence of incapacity starts to increase
de un crecimiento menor de desempleo. significantly. The alarming increase in the number of elderly workers that quit
la productividad. Y puede the labour force early because of disability has been the cause for considerable
llevar a una disminución del La pobreza en el grupo de concern. The costs of having so many people unemployed are very significant. In
consumo. El efecto neto en personas mayores tiene una those countries with structured social security plans, these costs reached
el crecimiento es poco con- fuerte dimensión de género. alarming levels in the decade starting in 1980. In the Netherlands, for example,
cluyente. Se necesitan inver- La esperanza de vida de las they reached 6 per cent of the GNP, in Germany, 3.5 per cent and in France 2.5
siones sabias a largo plazo mujeres es mayor que la de per cent. These costs continued spiralling in the same way. In the Netherlands,
para preparar a las economí- los hombres. Por consi- they rose four-fold in the period between 1975 and 1989.
as para una mano de obra de guiente, las mujeres pueden
mayor edad. El trabajo se ser más tiempo pobres al fi- Ageing more probably affects economic growth by means of a potentially
convertirá en un recurso ca- nal de sus vidas. Las prácti- reduced increased in productivity. Moreover, it can lead to a reduction in
da vez más escaso y las eco- cas culturales y los ordena- consumption. The net effect on growth is not very conclusive. Wise investments
nomías ya no podrán permi- mientos jurídicos discrimi- are needed in the long term in order to prepare economies for a more elderly
tirse hacer uso de dicho re- nan a las mujeres en mu- labour force. Work will become an increasingly scarce resource and economies
curso durante la vida de tra- chos países. En algunos paí- will not be able to allow themselves to make use of this resource during the
bajo activa que actualmente ses en desarrollo, los dere- active working life period, which is currently little more than three and a half
es de poco más de tres dece- chos de propiedad más dé- decades in many industrialised countries.
nios y medio en muchos paí- biles de las mujeres y el ac-
ses industrializados. ceso más limitado a las he- GENDER AND AGEING
rencias influyen sobremane-
GÉNERO Y ENVEJECIMIENTO ra en su seguridad económi- Women form the majority part of the population over 60 years of age in almost
ca. Para las mujeres mayo- all the countries of the world. It is more likely that elderly women lack basic
Las mujeres forman la res, los factores sociocultu- literacy skills compared to men. A large part of their economic contribution is
mayoría de la población de rales también desempeñan made through domestic non-structured economic activity. This means that they
más de 60 años en casi to- un papel significativo al de- benefit less from pension plans.
dos los países . En compara- terminar si una trabajadora
ción con los hombres, es se considera mayor y pue- Social security plans, including minimal pensions and/or compensatory
más probable que carezcan den verse doblemente dis- benefit formulas, are especially pertinent for the workers whose rights would
de competencias básicas en criminadas por estereotipos otherwise be very limited due to low salary levels and/or part-time work, often
materia de alfabetización. de sexismo y de edad. interrupted by family responsibilities and unemployment.
Buena parte de su contribu-
ción económica se realiza a A pesar de su vulnerabili- Poverty among the elderly has a powerful gender dimension. Life expectation
través de la actividad econó- dad, las mujeres mayores of women is higher than that of men. Consequently, women can spend a longer
mica doméstica y no estruc- contribuyen de forma indis- time being poor at the end of their lives. Cultural practices and legal codes
pensable a la economía y a discriminate against women in many countries. In some developing countries,
la sociedad. Suelen prestar the weaker property rights that women have and the more limited access they
have to inheritances have an excessive influence on their financial security.
Socio-cultural factors also play an important role for elderly women in
determining whether a female worker is considered elderly, and they could be
doubly discriminated against by stereotypes of sexism and age.
In spite of their vulnerability, elderly women contribute indispensably to the
economy and to society. They usually provide primary care services. In developed
regions, the workers aged between 45 and 60 are carrying out an important care
➾role: for their children and their elderly parents. In the same way, in the less
developed regions, above all in Africa, it is considered that their mission to care
Sesenta y más 61
